AT&T to invest $8 billion into wireless network, promises more 4G LTE’s for all

The war for your wallet is about to get a little more intense. AT&T announced tonight that they’re pulling out the big guns, investing a total of $8 billion in their wireless network (and an additional $6 billion for wireline network). Holy cow, that’s a whole lot of billions. AT&T plans on blanketing 300 million US Americans with 4G LTE by the end of 2014 with help from more than 40 spectrum deals — some still pending regulatory approval — with plans to buy even more.

Couple all of that with the fact that AT&T’s network is international friendly (meaning overseas devices work fine on their HSPA+ network) and AT&T’s a force to be reckoned with, an empire even. While I’m not sure that’s enough to lock me into a contract for 2 years, it is definitely very, very tempting. Strong, the dark side is.

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I’m so glad I work for att…. they are really stepping it up lately and you guys don’t even get to see the internal changes they have been making to turn themselves into a great company!

http://profiles.google.com/soundman1024 Jeff Meyer

I work at a stadium. Since my brother works at AT&T corporate, I gave them a try. The coverage on an average day was enough to make me pull my hair out, but on gameday it was completely worthless. I walked in on a gameday, saw my phone on EDGE 4 hours before kickoff. The next time I looked at it I was on GSM data. I couldn’t stomach to look at my phone again.

With over 75,000 people at our stadium the Verizon’s service on my company phone was still better than AT&T’s service at an empty stadium. I wish this was exaggeration.

Needless to say I dropped before my 30 days happened. Would have been better off with tin cans and a string. Now on T-Mobile’s $30 5GB 100 minute plan for my personal phone. Substantially faster than AT&T, at 25% of the cost.

I hope this $8 billion dollar investment will push AT&T beyond the tin can and string era.

smithj33

I live in Austin and and get no data during football games and I can’t even text photos. Calls and SMS work okay. Will be nice if they get us more coverage on gameday as well.

Butters619

That happens at any event with AT&T. But what’s worse, try living in San Diego or San Francisco. During rush hour, you can have 5 bars of service and not be able to make calls or get any data.

http://www.phandroid.com Quentyn Kennemer

One of the main reasons I stick to Verizon despite their pricing and practices. Coverage coverage coverage.

http://twitter.com/inguatu ingua2

I guess a company with Y E A R S of negative press and inactivity would eventually turn around. It’s a natural progression for any company still pulling in millions of dollars in profit. I still find it funny the whole ATT > Cingular > ATT thing just to have people forget.

Smart_Margret

> I work for att…. they are really stepping it up lately and you

> guys don’t even get to see the internal changes they

We might not see the INTERNAL changes… but we see the external ones. Daily. Overcrowded cell towers… dropped calls… slow speeds.

I shouldn’t have to avoid using my (only) phone just because a football is being played in my home town.

It said a total of 8 billion over the next three years in the press release. How is that impressive? Even Big Red drops approx 6 billion per year. Let’s see the results, not the numbers.

ntegrit

Good one, Yoda!

http://twitter.com/inguatu ingua2

Meanwhile google says you don’t need LTE.

Butters619

Google skipped LTE because they would have had to partner with AT&T or Verizon in the states, and they both would negatively impact the experience of a Nexus device (see: Galaxy Nexus)

chuckles87

Well hopefully T-Mobile does this round of nexus justice so we can have nice things. So may bee next years nexus T-Mobile will have late rolled out somewhat and they can partner with T-Mobile and sprint leaving the two huge greedy companies out

Smart_Margret

Google could have *CERTAINLY* made a Verizon LTE 4G device. They would have sold countless millions of them. How is that a “negative impact” exactly? Huge profits? Millions of (new) happy customers?

Butters619

How does it negatively impact the experience? Let’s ask Verizon G-Nex owners how long their updates were delayed by Verizon.

How about Google Wallet?

Smart_Margret

> Meanwhile google says you don’t need LTE.

And my grandmother says that we don’t need color TV. You are certainly free to buy whatever old/outdated/slow devices you want.

I’d prefer newer far technologies. (Your phone should AT LEAST have 2010-type technologies built into it by now.)

Butters619

It’s about time AT&T. Before San Diego had LTE, service was terrible. HSPA+ was a joke. Dropped calls & no data was standard, even with 5 bars.

guitarist5122

End of 2014? Lol, that’s perfect. About to switch to Verizon so that two year contract will be done when AT&T supposedly will be done upgrading.

Smart_Margret

> End of 2014?

With delays and cost-overruns and weather and problems… it will easily be 2015. Better wait until 2016, before all the bugs are worked out for AT&T.

2016????

Smart_Margret

> Holy cow, that’s a whole lot of billions.

The real question is “why did any company foolishly wait until they were $8-$14 *BILLION* dollars behind in upgrades and repairs before they said “Gee, maybe we should do something about this huge mess called The AT&T Network.”

Only AT&T would be so poorly run. (Verizon already has 450+ markets running LTE 4G. No need to wait for 2014 or 2015. You could have a $50 Verizon LTE phone in your hand TODAY.)